


Sin Bound

by EldritchVulpine



Category: Original Work
Genre: Fantasy, LGBT, M/M, Mages, Magic, Modern Fantasy, Multi, m/m - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:34:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22215658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EldritchVulpine/pseuds/EldritchVulpine
Summary: Sionnach Connolly is a med student with an underpaying job he hates, a smartass lover, and a caffine addiction. It just so happens that the job is hunting things that go bump in the night, his lover is a shape-shifting familiar that may be more then he lets on, and Sionnach himself is a chaos demon.But hey, otherwise pretty relatable, right?(also working title working title oh my GOD working title it's such crap please give me ideas if you comment on this.)
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Devil**

You wouldn't ever really think to see a demon at a medical school, would you?

But there he came, blue eyes locked on a book, the dusk Autumn light turning his red hair to fire. He was alone, as usual; he said he didn't go to school to make friends. He didn't _need_ friends. Between that and his little medical condition of his own- vitiligo, right over his right eye and down most of that side of his body- you'd think he'd be the class pariah. He sure as hell _wanted_ to be the class pariah. To be left alone and ignored; to do his work and earn his liscense and be left alone while doing it.   
  
Which is why it was so damn hilarious that he was actually pretty popular. His annoyance about it made my heart sing with joy. 

Name's Devil, by the way, good to meetcha. I mean, it's not my real name, but Mr Sunny Disposition there thinks he's funny. I'm his familiar, and he gets to call me whatever he wants- I have to go by that name.

But I digress, yeah? This story's not about me. It's about him.

I let out a sharp warning 'caw', taking off from my perch to where his arm was already up in expectation of me. The wind ruffled my feathers sharply, nearly shoving me off his arm, bringing the sharp scent of chimney smoke and burning leaves to my nose. Already cold enough for _that_ shit- I was not looking forward to the oncoming snow as the weather dropped even further. I hate the cold. 

"Heeeey, Bones, how'd the higher education go?"

"Don't call me that." He replied, low voice thick with annoyance. If you listened close, he had the tiniest traces of a Scottish accent. When I got him pissed off enough, it was much thicker and absolutly hilarious. "I've told you not to call me that."

"Yeah, yeah, House, I get it. You're serious about this, just like you're serious about everything. Demons are supposed to be fun, y'know?" I shrugged, a ruffle of feathers, and shifted further up his shoulder so he could drop his arm.

"It went fine." He finally replied. "The hunting?"

"I couldn't find a damn thing, but check your e-mail."

He pulled out his phone, doing as I said- for once- without a smarmy comment to go with it.

"I thought I told you to stop advertising us."

"This is your job, Doctor Quinn-"

"Stop it!"

"-while you run around playing doctor, someone has to make sure we have an actual income. Sitting around hoping we find something isn't good enough. We need things like, y'know, an apartment. Food."

He grunted, mostly because he wanted to argue with me- he always did- but couldn't.

"At least take a look, kid." I went on, after a long moment. "Simple job, just busting a wolf that keeps killing human stock. His pack's afraid he's gonna get them undo attention- things like hunters, for example. Except ones that'll just wipe out the whole pack because someone else called 'em."

"Even so, Packs don't normally look for outside help. They handle their own."

"That's my smart boy!" I drawled- then yelped when he reached up to pluck out a feather from my wing.

"Jackass!"

He chuckled, dryly, a low, slow chuckle. "Yours?" He drawled, and as he passed it by, a crosswalk began to go haywire, causing two people to bolt across and a car to be forced to slam on it's breaks. A small stretch of his magical legs, a small feeding off the bad luck and misfortune he'd caused. Demons are pretty misunderstood- they aren't, y'know, demons, bringers of damnation and pain, suffering and hell. They're just...bad luck. Trouble.

Despite humanity having known about the preternatural for a few years now, some species would never get out from under cleche shadows.

"Here I thought you were _mine_."

I laughed at the brazen statement, puffing out my chest. We were each other's, like it or not. But hell, the kid could think he was the boss for a while yet.

"So are we taking it or what, Doctor Jeckyll?"

"Stop it." This time, he batted me off his shoulder, violently. I laughed, rippling in midmove and shuffling my long, dark-furred body under his coat. My tiny claws dug in like burrs and I heard his hiss of pain. Served him right, the fucker.

"Ferrets stink." He grunted, making an actual move to pull me off.

"That's not a no." I bit his finger as he tried to pry me off again. He hissed under. his breath a second time and rolled his eyes.

"Fine." He relented, on an annoyed growl. "Fine. I'll talk to some people, see about the situation, ok?"

He couldn't see it, but I was positive he could hear my smug grin. "Good." I was being smarmy mostly to piss him off, but what I'd said was true. Kid had to pay for his apartment and life and school somehow. Mommy and Daddy weren't exactly gonna be throwing him cash- they were disturbingly and sickeningly loving and caring, especally rare in demon parents- but they weren't supportive. Like I said, demons- contary to popular believe- are basically just spirits of discord and misfortune. So for one to want to be a doctor? To want to help people?

No one got it, not even his family. Even if they were supportive, stubborn little fuck would never have accepted help from them.

Yes, he had a scholarship, but even that only covered so much, and not apartment bills. So, before starting college, he'd taken a few years to get a license to be a mid-level hunter. He hated it, but it paid for us to survive, so he sucked it up and I did the dirty work of finding us jobs.

"-vil? Devil, hey, earth to Devil." Fingers snapped in my face. "I've been trying to ask you a question for five minutes now."

I'd spaced. It didn't help that, like I said, my natural name isn't 'Devil', and sometimes, I- forget to click into it. But we don't give anyone our real names- not anyone, even our masters.

"What did you want, you rude little shit?" I clacked my teeth together at his fingers.

"Does the farmer know what's going on?" We had finally reached his apartment, and he unlocked the door, dropping his bag as he stepped in. It was a rather small one- just barely bigger then a studio. It was really more like 'the downstairs part of a house' then an apartment. One tiny bedroom, a small dining room with a minifridge and hotplate in the corner, and that was more or less it. Thankfully, SIn had never been much one for knickknacks or decortating. It was boring and barren but at least it didn't make the place look even more cluttered. The landlady was getting up there in years, lived alone, and gave him half off rent for helping her out around the house. Small and cramped, but cheap- so we couldn't complain. "The man who's stocks are getting grabbed, what does he know?"

"That it's weres going after them. No idea they contacted me, and I don't think he wants outside forces involved. Really the 'we don't call niahn ohun ohun' type." I drawled in an exaggerated drawl.

"Got a way to contact him?"

"Well, I could have a horse take a telegram, or send him a letter- or, I could have you call the cell phone number I snitched from his contacts."

"Do you have to be a smart ass about everything?"

"Do you?"

He let me down, rubbing the back of his neck with a tired sigh. "The cogery old bastard has a cellphone?"

"Probably barely knows how to use it, but yes."

"I'll call him. Let him know what's up so we don't all get shot."

I frowned.

"People don't usually open demons with open arms, Sin. Or hunters. So a demon-hunter-"

"Sion _nach_. At least you got closer this time."

I chuckled to myself, shifting my way up, upward into a recognizably human form. I took a seat of my own, crossing my legs and lounging backwards.

"Anyway, that's why I'm calling first." He went on, groaning as he dropped into a chair.

"...were you planning on eating?"

"Oh you're an asshole. You did that on purpose."

I grinned shamelessly. I mostly had- someone had to give the kid a hard time. A moment or two passed, and he hefted himself back to his feet with an exhausted groan to grab his phone and order pizza.

Exhausted was a normal state for him to be in. He essentially starved his magic, pushing himself too damn far besides. Molding it, twisting it to do what he wanted- heal and help, instead of cause chaos and discord- was not an easy trick. His eyes were closing again, and I whistled.

"Hey, Peirce, don't fall asleep without eating." I drawled. Not that I was worried, or anything. I needed the kid in top working order.

"Will you stop that?" He grumbled, flopping his arms dramatically over his face and eyes. "I keep telling you-"

The phone rang, cutting him off sharply. His phone never rang, but for two situations- a job or school. Demenor changing instantly, he grabbed it.

"This is Connolly." Clipped and professional, take no shit and waste no time. It changed again as quickly as it had before to a stunned, exhsasperated confusion.

"Lachlan? Why the hell are you calling me?"

I blinked. Jeeeeesus, it had been...at least eight years since ol' silver tonuge had anything to do with us outside of family enforced holidays. Then I cringed, because frankly-

" _What did you do_?"

There it was. Lachlan had a habit of reaching out to any of his family when he was in some kind of trouble.

He was in some kind of trouble a lot.

"Because you never call unless you've done something or need something, that's why." Another pause. "Family when you need something, maybe-" Then a short, bitter laugh.

" _Don't_. Don't try to pull that card with me." He drawled. "I'm not-"

He was silent for another moment. "I'm not falling for this." Another pause. "Lachlan-I have work. I have classes. I can't handle this now. I can't handle you now."

He pulled the phone from his ear as Lachlan raised his voice. "Look, call mom if you really need help." Then he ended the call without waiting for a reply.

"What'd he get himself into this time?" I folded into a chair near his couch, tucking my legs up under me. He shrugged.

"Same shit, differant day. Some whore, I think." A snort. "Pretty sure he promised her something he couldn't follow up on? I don't know. He _reniged_ , to use his own word, and made her pimp or sugar daddy or whatever mad as hell. Moron."

I cackled, I couldn't help it.

"You should screw with his car. Teach the lil shit a lesson."

"Having to explain his latest problem to Mom's probably punishment enough." But his tiny grin said he'd done _something_.

"You gonna go ahead and call that farmer? Before you pass the hell out or the food comes."

"After dinner." He flapped a hand at me.

Said dinner was a pretty quick affair- typical demon and typical kid, he was starving and voracious. Still, by the time we called, it was almost too late. Sin had never really been one to worry about manners, though, and he made the call as he'd said he would. It took two tries to get the old man to answer, and when he did, using speakerphone, the voice on the other end was more then a little irritated.

"This had better be a Goddamn emergancy." Low, gruff- the kind of voice that came with someone who smoked way too much and drank even more.

"That's on you to tell me." Sin drawled in return, unphased. "Someone's contacted me recently about a pack of weres picking off your stock?"

"Yeah, been having a problem with it. Got some silver bullets and my Ol' Lucky, though, don't need anyone's Goddamn help."

Sin visibly twitched. "Well, I-"

"I said I don't need no Goddamn help. How the fuck did you get this number, anyway? Who are you?"

"S _omeone who'll make 'Ol Lucky' a lot less so if you don't **can it**_." He muttered, then, louder- "My name is Sionnach Connolly. I'm a Hunter in the area, and I got a tip that your sheep-"

"Well you and that someone can shove your fancy title up your asses. I don't need or want no Hunter on my property, bringing more trouble and charging me for it."

Sin pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes, I understand, but I've been asked-"

"Tell them no!"

Sionnach strangled on a growl. Somewhere near by, one or two car alarms went off.

"I'm afraid I can't just do that. I'm just asking-"

"No!"

This time, he couldn't muffle the growl. I sniggered- this was gonna be good.

"Sir, if you'd stop interrupting-"

"You called at this ungodly-"

"Sir, under Law 258 B, regarding Hunters, I have the right to-"

"I don't give a shit-"

" _Sir_ _, shut up_!" The phone sparked and I could hear the old man yelp with surprise over whatever the magical backlash had done on his end.

Silence reigned for a long moment while Sin took a long, slow breath.

" _Sir_. I'm sorry about my outburst, but as I was trying to remind you, it is my legal right as a recognized and fully registered Hunter to enter private property if my job demands it."

Only slightly a lie.

Hunters could and can get permission to enter private property, but it worked like any other government agency. You had to have a good reason, usually proof of wrong doing, and permission.

But a good demon knows how to bullshit with the best of 'em, and also knows what the typical human might not know. Sin might be a little freak, but he was a damn fine liar.

Is.

"However, I was hoping not to have to pull rank. So to speak."

The sly little cock smirked at the long silence from the other end of the phone. He'd won, and he knew it.

"I-" The farmer stammered for a minute, trying to hold onto his offended bluster. "I still don't want no trouble on my land."

"I understand." More calmly now. "I don't want that, either. I'd like to make this good for both of us." Another pause.

"Okay, so what are you offering, kid?"

Sionnach grinned a tiny little self-satisified grin.

"I was thinking-for letting me use your property to set up, I'd imagine you'd be deserving of some monetary compensation. Especally with loosing so much stock to this- little problem."

I kicked back in my chair, proudly listening. Sin was a blacksheep little shit, but he could still work with the best of 'em, like I said before. It didn't take long before he'd cut a deal, and we had permission to set up how we needed, where we needed.

Damn, but he could pretend to be charming.

"So when do we head out, Dr. Jeckyll?"

He shot me an irritated look. "Tomorrow night. You're running out of referances." He replied."After class. I have something else I need to take care of first, though."

I groaned and rolled my eyes. Of course he did.

"Get you a white hat and horse. Maybe a nice guitar. You could be the singing, healing demon cowbo-ack!" I dodged the textbook that came flying my way.

"Typical hero. Total diva."

The second one hit me square in the face.

Ungrateful brat.


	2. Chapter 2

Sionnach

I moved outside the hospital confidently and quickly. I know it better then I knew my own name; every in and out, nook and cranny, like the back of my own hand. I also knew that if I was caught creeping around the property for no reason at five thirty in the morning, Hunter or no, that was my carrier done, right there. Do not pass go, do not collect a medical degree.

But I had to be here. I knew  they would be here, and they would always be more active at dawn.

The cold bit through the hoodie I was wearing, chilling my bone, numbing my lips. The wind whipped my hair and stung my face, stealing my breath and making my eyes water. Good. It would keep me on my toes, awake and alert. Coffee doesn't work very well on me- neither do energy drinks. I try them, and I'd tried them tonight- and I could already feel it wearing off. The cold, though- it answered to something deeper, more primal, and kept me sharp.

The wail of a siren had me quickening my pace. I didn't run- running only attracted unwanted attention- but I started into a brisk walk. The kind that did not invite being stopped.

There's a pantheon, you know, of creatures like me. Supernatural beings; and my race is pretty firmly in the middle. Demons are numerous- seriously, we breed like bunnies- and we're generally bug and scary enough not to be fucked with. There's only one or two races that out class us, but a few more that ring in just under.

The one on the bottom rung of us all?

These nasty little fucks.

They were called Gobs-a play on Goblins, and because they never shut up. They always- always\- chittered and laughed and cackled, like hyenas. They also feed on the dying. They're small and pathetic and weak little leeches, but if someone has, say, cancer- they'll mob. In dozens. They can overwhelm in sheer numbers. Generally, though, they're super cowardly. They'd rather feed on people that can't fight back or don't even know they're there rather then fight anyone for anything, including food. Easy to drive off.

Ice crunched under my feet, soaking through the material of my shoes, and I slipped once, twice, making my way up the steep incline. The second time I was jarred from my thoughts by my knee cracking into a pointed stone. I hissed tightly under my breath, clenching my teeth, and let it stain the air around me red. I welcomed the pain, broadcast it. The stupider Gobs would get distracted by and interested in it. It would pull a few from the sick and dying in the hospital.

I  didn't yelp or yell, though. I wanted the Gobs to know there was another source of pain, but not every one and other random night creature to know my exact fucking location. At least it hadn't been my bad leg.  I pushed myself back to my feet, shaking off the limp that wanted to linger, finally cresting the hill to see them- twenty, maybe thirty of them. A good number, even for weak and stupid things. That was still a  lot . Too many to go in with just a weapon. They were fast and mean and wouldn't hesitate to swarm.

I knew what I needed to do.

I rolled my shoulders, and let out a long, slow breath. With it, I let go of the illusion of humanity.

They took notice instantly. Heads came up and they stared, intently, in my direction, making the occasional chittering or chattering noise of fear. They were like startled rabbits.

So I played the wolf.

My hooved back legs launched me off the hill, and I landed hard in the middle of the pack, mane already forming hard spikes and shielding my flesh around me. They lashed out to spear and throw any Gobs dumb enough to not react in time- or too slow.

The ones that were left, unsurprised by the initial attack, came at me in droves. They swarmed up my sides and bit at any flesh they could find. I bucked, reared, and lashed them off me- and the tiny fangs sank into my front pair of legs. One, two sets; I gritted my teeth as pain shot like an ice pick through my old wounds.

I wound the hair of my mane around the injury protecting it from further injury, and sloughed off the little fuckers. My bad leg gave all the same, and the minute it hit the dirt I saw  him come bursting from the trees near me.

Devil swept in like a bat out of hell, laughing manically the entire time. He grabbed them before they could swarm me, swooping up into the sky to drop them down like tiny, morbid bombs. I got my legs back under me with a grunt of effort, and swept my claws at the remaining Gobs with embarrassed anger.

It didn't take long to wrap it up after that, between the two of us.

Exhausted and panting, I melded, slowly, back into the guise of a human. Devil appeared, pulling me to my feet with a strong, swift tug, and then against his chest in a strong grip. He had a human form of his own- tall, slender, in his middle thirties or so with laughing mismatched eyes and long, long hair in an elegant brown braid. He thought he was more handsome then he was, and smoother then he was, and it took him about two seconds to follow the tug with a kiss that promptly made my knees weak again- both of them this time- and I growled in annoyed frustration. I pulled away, and he laughed against my skin, his lips tickling down my neck.

"You okay, boss?"

" Stop it. Not the time or place." I muttered, and I wasn't blushing, I wasn't, fuck you. He laughed against my skin, his warm breath stark against cold skin, and finally, finally let me go. I gritted my teeth and forced my hurting leg to take my full weight, forced myself not to shiver at the loss of the warm, supportive touch.

I was fine. I didn't need it.

"My _name_ is  _Sionnach_ ."

"You're fine." He laughed roughly, kissing my forehead as I swatted at him. Smug bastard. "You, uh, need to call an Uber, or something?"

"It's like six thirty in the fucking morning, no Uber is going to be driving anyone anywhere." I grumbled. I had no idea if it was true or not- I just don't like cars. I bike pretty much everywhere. I mean, I  have a car, and a licence, if I really need it- but I don't like them. They're small, claustrophobic, horrible for the environment, cause more stupid, needless injury and death- I avoid them as much as I 

can.

Still, I couldn't stop the tiny groan at the thought of riding home tonight.

"....I could give you a ride." Devil offered, quiet and tentative; unusual for him, but he knew this was a sore subject for me. Most shifters don't take on big forms; human is the largest you'll see most of them do. It takes too much energy and effort for anything larger. But they  can , in times of emergency or necessity. I didn't count a sore Goddamn leg as either. I'd live.

"I'll be fine. I've had worse."

Between the bite, the cold, and the old injury, though, it was throbbing with each beat of my heart- and three limping steps in, it buckled again. This time, he caught me by one arm, his grip no longer gentle but firm and almost painful. Damn.  Damn , it was getting worse. I hissed through my teeth as he pulled me upright.

"Sin. Don't be a stubborn bastard. Take the ride or call a damn cab or something."

I took a deep, slow breath, fighting with myself. After a long pause, pain and exhaustion won out- but I wasn't riding my damn familiar. I'd never hear the end of it. We were close enough to the city that I could, maybe, find an Uber running now. It  was nearly seven, closer to that then six thirty actually, and I sucked my teeth in irritation at not having much reason to say no.

"Be something small. Hide in my shirt."

"Oh yeah, baby." He grinned at me. more charmingly then he should have been allowed to. "I'll hide in your-"

" Shut up ."

I sank down on a nearby bench with a low groan I could no longer hold back, while Devil hummed thoughtfully and then turned into a rat, scrambling his way under my hair to hide on the back of my neck, instead. He was warm and a heavy, comfortable weight, though, so I closed my eyes and let him stay.

"Boss." The voice was calm, quiet, and low in my ear. "Boss, car pulling up. Wake up."

I jerked awake, startled out of a sleep I didn't remember falling into. Groggy, I sat up, yawning and grunting as the cold from early morning hit, my knee stiff and my fingers numb. It couldn't have been that long, but I felt like  shit all the same; getting up took way too much effort and not just because I was half-crippled. I'd been in a damn awkward position. I could  hear him sniggering as I groaned again, flagging down the slowing Uber.

"Gettin' old on me, Sin?"

I didn't bother dignifying that with an answer, not in the least because I didn't want the Uber driver to think I was nuts.

Or-maybe realize it. Depends on who you ask.

"Hey, man." He greeted, as I clambered in. "Shitty place to be. Thoughts and prayers for whoever's in there." He gave me a small half smile in the mirror.

"Yeah." I managed, tiredly. "Yeah. Thanks. I'm gonna- I'm just gonna close my eyes until I get home. ok?"

"No problem, my man. You're in good hands."

The next time I woke up, it was too an unfamiliar voice calling me- not by name, but trying to get my attention. Devil was nibbling the back of my neck, and I swatted at him, waking to wave a lazy hand at the driver to acknowledge him and make him shut the fuck up. If I hadn't been so damn tired, he might have tripped and landed on his face walking from my window back to his driver's seat, but I didn't care enough or have the energy to expend. I just climbed out, blearily thanking the driver, and started hauling my battered, pathetic carcass down the driveway.

_God,_ I was so tired. I just wanted a hot shower, and to sleep half the day away.

So of course, my phone rang the second I locked the door behind me. I groaned deeply, leaning against the wall, and pulled it- miraculously unbroken or lost- from my pocket. I can already see you wondering what happened to my clothes when I shifted; and the answer is I simply don't know.

I less 'shapeshift' and more 'drop a glamour'. I'm not actually  human . I don't pay attention to what happens to my clothes, my phone, my bags or shoes when I stop playing at being human. I just know they come back when I change back and so long as that keeps happening, that's all I care about.

The number on my phone was Lachlan.  Again . Twice, in two days? Now I actually felt a twinge of- something. Worry? I hadn't heard anything from my big brother in years, and now twice this soon?

"Twice in two days?" I said out loud, as I answered. "What are you, dying?"

"I might be." Came the unexpected, hissed reply, and all the humor fled from me.

"What the fuck does that mean?" I snapped. Lachlan was notorious for getting himself into bad crowds and bad situations, and mom and dad for rescuing him from them. Even though I hadn't heard 

from him in so long, I'd heard about his exploits and misadventures, and listened to them bitch about him.  So why the fuck was he calling  me now?

"I, ah-" He stopped, clearing his throat. "I'm nearby, and-"

"Get to the point, Lachlan."

"I don't want to bring trouble to Mom and Dad-"

"So you're- bringing it to me, instead?"

"At least you can take care of yourself."

"Dad can't? Dare you to say that to his face."

"Dad is getting older-"

"Or that!" I barked a laugh.

" Sionnach , will you shut up?" The raise of his voice cut through my bitter mirth. He never yelled. Not about anything.

"Look, can I just- talk to you? In person?"

"...it's like eight am. I haven't slept."

"This afternoon then. Or tomorrow afternoon. Just- soon!"

I glanced over at Devil, who had curled up as a sleek black ferret on my couch. He blinked sleepily at me, yawning hugely.

"Wa'she want?"

"....tomorrow afternoon." I agreed, slowly and tersely. "You'll have half an hour and you're buying lunch."

" Fine. " He grunted, and I could  hear his eyeroll. "I'm in a hotel about fifteen minutes from you."

Well, that was unsettling. He'd somehow gotten into town and gotten settled and set up nearby me, and I'd had no fucking clue. "How long have you been here?" I asked out loud, my eyebrows at my hairline. I know my town. I know my city.

The fact that he'd slipped in under my nose- under Devil's nose- was  upsetting to say the least.

"A couple days?" The shrug was clear in his voice. "Not long, Sionnach, stop freaking out. I can practically see you freaking out."

" I am not." I was also not pouting, no matter how much Devil said I was, around a second yawn. "Look- I'm gonna regret asking this but- will you be ok? Where you are?"

"Aww, Sin. You do care."

I knew he'd have a smarmy comment. Prick. Served me right for caring about the sonofabitch.

" Are you or not ?"

There was a low, chuffing laugh. "Yeah, Spawnling. I'll be alright."

Jesus, could no one use my fucking name?

"Don't call me that."

"You're my baby brother. Sorry, kiddo, you'll always be Spawnling to me."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling irritation crawl along the base of my spine. Unfortunately, it didn't fully chase away the feeling of apprehension that still hung, heavily, in my stomach.

Something was wrong. I could feel it as a lump of solid ice in my chest. Something was  actually wrong , but there was nothing I could do about it now. Besides that, I couldn't just drop everything and go to him. I was so tired I was seeing double, and my leg was screaming, arching agony up and down like fire. I had a job I'd agreed to that I needed to get done.

"I'm hanging up now. I'll see you tomorrow- unfortunately."

"That's us- misfortune." He grinned and then there was the 'beep' of him hanging up.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

That's the last thing I remember for- a while. I don't actually have any memory of getting into bed or falling asleep; but I woke up, tucked up to my chin, in my bed, sun streaming in on my face. There was a heating pack strapped to my knee, my brace on the bedside table beside me, and Loki, shaking me with a foot.

" What? " I groaned, swatting at him. "Fucking stop it-"

"Wakey wakey, sleeping beauty. You thinking about joining us? Maybe going on a teeny tiny werewolf hunt?"

"Christ, what time is it?" I slurred, pushing hair out of my face- and drool. Ugh.

"Nearly eleven."

" What ? Why'd you let me sleep so late?"

"You needed it, kid. I just thought-"

"Don't think. I'm your master, leave that part up to me."

He  hissed , sharply, bearing his teeth that were suddenly just a little too sharp and pointed at me, eyes flashing.

"I  allow you to call me your own-" He snarled, "and you will not disrespect the honor that I do you!"

I felt my own answering growl want to raise up in the back of my throat, in the base of my chest. I felt my skin ripple, shift, my teeth expand in my mouth at his defiance. I was still in pain, and tired, and not in the Goddamn mood for his lip.

"You are still  my familiar and I'd appreciate it if you remembered that!"

He stopped, blink, and I saw hurt dart across his face for a minute. "And here I thought we were a little more then just that." He muttered, folding his arms across his chest. I knew I'd pulled rank a little hard, there, but he'd started it, Goddamnit.

He'd started it, but I felt guilty anyway. Hell.

"Oh, for- damn it, Devil. Just- thanks. For the-" I motioned at my leg, pushing a hand through my sweaty, messy hair. His face softened, and he shrugged a shoulder.

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah. Some." I was, too. The pain always faded quickly; the limp lingered, but it rarely ever hurt more then a dull ache. I was born like this; weak leg, weak arm. I say 'born'; demons are spawned, hatched from eggs like birds or most reptiles. No one's really sure what happened to my egg. They're supposed to be protected and well cared for, watched over viciously.

But  something happened to me. To mine. Here we had the result; a cripple.  Gimp .

My lips twisted as the word burned through my mind, but I made myself let it go.

"Good. You gonna go see Lachlan?"

"I said I would." I sighed, heaving myself out of bed. He transformed into a flurry of feathers and flapped to the top of my dresser, grooming his feathers. A moment later, he was human again, perched up there, laying out along the top with a smirk on his insufferably handsome face.

"Get down from there. You don't fit."

"Awww, don't like being able to admire all this?"

"You look stupid as hell. Get down." I rolled my eyes at him. He did, too; sprawled out like a cat, too big for where he was and thinking he was fabulous.

"You love me- and looking at me. Admit it, Dr. Dorian." He drawled, and I was forced to fight him off me as he took the form of a ferret again, racing up my body and trying to slither his way into my pants. Hissing and swearing, dancing around the room, I fought to drag him off me with one hand and dial Lachlan's number with the other.

"Devil- stop- get- goddamn- fucking  quit -"

His laughter rang out across the room, then  louder as I slipped and cracked into the frame of my bed with my back. His cackle was impish and his  teeth brushed against my-

"Not sexy!"

I finally managed to drag him out of my sleep pants as Lachlan's voice mail picked up.

Dammit. This wasn't unusual for Lachlan, not answering his phone, but combined with his comments earlier-

-I forced myself to be calm, not to panic. Devil was still trying to dive back into my pants, and I rolled my eyes, tossing him across the room. Midthrow, he was a raven again.

"Hey hey hey, abuse!" He squawked, ruffling his feathers like a true, offended bird.

"Lachlan's not picking up."

He stopped, laying his feathers flat. "Not super uncommon, kid. No need to freak."

He was right. Of course he was right. I'd just had that thought. I knew I was worrying over nothing. Being absurd. Besides, he'd gotten himself into this mess, he could get himself out. It wasn't my business anyway.

I had a job to do. I had to get my head in the damn game and focus. I could worry-  think \- about Lachlan later.

He was fine. He had always been and would always be obnoxiously fine. I took a deep, slow breath. Did it again.

He came and landed on my shoulder, affectionately grooming my hair.

"He'll be fine, Thirteen."

"That's a doctor in training."

"So are you, technically." He couldn't grin at me cheekily as a bird, but he didn't have to. I could visualize it by his tone. I rolled my eyes.

"Luckily for you, I'm not on rotation today." I grunted. I'd made sure of it before scheduling this tonight. Made sure I had at least two days of  not having to be up at four in the Goddamn morning. Thank God, being a Hunter was considered an actual profession; I was able to work my schedule around my Hunting job.

"I'm not stupid. I know when you're on and when you aren't." He replied snippily. "Especially when you have a job, idiot. I know you're not working a job when you have class."

Wrong word, really, but technically I was learning, so class worked. I rolled my shoulders, stretching and testing my leg.

"I'm gonna take a shower. Don't get in trouble and tell me if Lachlan calls."

"Yes, master." He fluttered his wings, irritably. "Want your laundry done too, my liege?"

I flipped him off as I slipped into the bathroom, trying very hard to avoid my own reflection in the mirror. I hate my reflection; hate the pale marks on my human form that mar the skin where scars are in my true one. A reminder that I was broken, weak- and not even because of anything I'd done. I'd had a mirror over it, for a while, but Devil kept yanking it back down when I wasn't looking- so I gave up after a while.

He keeps telling me I'm beautiful. I keep telling him I know he's full of fucking shit.

The shower was hot enough to turn my skin lobster-pink, scalding and relaxing; I let out a heavy sigh, slumping back against the wall. I didn't have to worry about the hospital, but I  did have to worry about that job, and I was going to be distracted. I couldn't afford to be distracted.

Why the _fuck_ couldn't Lachlan have just answered his damn phone?

I tried to put the thoughts of him injured, in danger, dying out of my head. Pushed it away as I stepped out and toweled off, pushed it aside as I slipped into work clothes. For Hunting, you want comfortable, loose but not too loose, and something you aren't afraid to get ruined or dirty.

For me, that was a favorite old pair of jeans, well worn and slightly ripped, and an overlong t-shirt that proclaimed in bright green letters 'My Eyes are Up Here.' Lachlan'd gotten it for me years ago, and it had never fit me- or  fit me- but it was a good shirt for hunting. It was dark, too, aside from the lettering, making it easier for me to stay unseen. A coat over that, green canvas with more pockets then a meerkat tunnel, also loose and comfortable.

For this one, I would need a weapon. I don't actually transform for much; my real form, my natural form, was generally reserved for situations a gun or knife can't handle. Why? Because it took a huge amount of energy to switch back and forth, mostly, and because even though the supernatural was largely accepted and acknowledged, demons still really freaked people out. I didn't need people seeing my real form and panicking on me.

"Anything?" I asked, as I came out of the bathroom, hair still dripping. It took an absurdly long time for it to dry all the way, and I'd thought about hacking it all off more then once.

"Nope, sorry kid." He was still a bird, but somehow managed to shrug at me. "Nothing yet. You okay? That was a long shower."

"I was thinking. Keep the peanut gallery comment to yourself, please." I grabbed up the phone, tried calling him again. One ring.

Two. Three.

Voicemail.

" _Damn it_." I hissed, jamming it into my back pocket and grabbing my gun and my bag. I had a legal concealed carry license- all hunters do- but I wasn't really supposed to have a hand gun of quite the caliber I did. Best to keep it hidden as much as possible- tuck it in the back of the pants, not the front.

That should be self-explanatory.

The bag I slung over my shoulder, and then I was on my bag and off. It would take me a while to get there via bike, not counting breaks, and I still needed to get breakfast- and I'd need some time to set up and prepare once I got to the site of the problem. It wasn't just a matter of showing up and kicking ass, like with the Gobs. This needed some....finesse.

Weres tended to be crepuscular mostly. You could see them hunting at other times, too, but they were mostly super active then. They tend to like night jobs, too; graveyard shifts, overnighters, that kind of thing.

It was nearly the perfect time by the time I got there and finished readying myself. Three, four o'clock in the afternoon; close to time. I took the last few hours making sure I was ready for anything to go wrong; gun loaded and beside me, a protective barrier spell firmly set around the area that would alert me for when someone or some thing came into the area. A few other small, protective spells that were in the necklaces I slipped on over my head.

Last but certainly not least, Devil. "Something big," I told him. "big and fast. You'll need to be if there's more then one." 

He nodded, and a few moments later a large Warg stood beside me; easily five feet tall on all fours, bristling with soft fur that could stiffen, much like my own, to become sharp spikes, venom tipped fangs hanging over his lower lip. 

"Good." I replied; he couldn't answer, not in this form. It was too primitive, too wild and raw. Still, he chuffed and headbutted my legs before moving out to sniff the air, looking for our quarry. Meanwhile I took the time to make myself at least passingly familiar with the farm and the surrounding terrain. If I got in a tight spot, I didn't want to be scrambling around totally blind to what was around each corner. 

It was a pretty leisurely walk; I had plenty of time, and I also took note of anything else I could use as a weapon besides being forced into a shape-change; and kept and ear open for my phone to ring. I was hoping against all odds that it would just- go off, that he'd been his usual self, lazy and unreliable, and he'd call, laughing and trying to brush off how damn irresponsible he was. 

Being distracted by stupid fucking Lachlan and his stupid fucking  stupid problems , I almost missed what was right under my nose. 

The place wasn't nearly trashed enough. 

I paused, brow furrowed, as I realized how...neatly...the place was destroyed. Methodical. Systematic. 

"Looking for something." I murmured, under my breath. Weres aren't known for being delicate. Even if they didn't meant to destroy something, just a snippy bicker-fest over territory would result in everything around being obliterated. I hadn't found out what they were really doing here, but I'd assumed it was exactly that- territorial disputes and young weres sorting out who was top dog. 

No pun intended. 

I followed the trail of destruction- less then it should have been, but clear damage- and stopped at the cattle pen. 

I could see the blood on the ground that the old farmer hadn't fully been able to clean up, the broken fence boards- and then I felt a hard nudge on the back of my legs. 

I wiped around, hand on my gun, ready to come up to bear- and nearly blew off Devil's huge, powerful head as he cringed back from the muzzle and snarled deeply, pinning his ears and showing those massive teeth. I jerked the gun away hard. 

"Jesus  _Christ_ you're lucky I don't have an itchier trigger finger." I snapped, but he didn't unpin his ears. He whined, soft and low, tail tucked between his legs. I clicked my tongue against my teeth. 

"Yeah. I know. Something isn't right." I reached out instead, and he shoved his head under my hand with a low rumble. "Something isn't matching up here." I pushed off the fence, closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. My sense of smell isn't as strong as some other thing's, but it's up there, and better then a human's by far. Eyes still closed, I caught a whiff of a musky, raw, wild odor; a wolf. 

Had to be wolf. I followed it, looking for any more not-quite-right destruction; Devil stayed right at my heels, pressed tightly to my legs. He was scared- and that scared me. Still, I followed the scent, ready to shift or shoot, whichever became necessary. 

Abruptly, his snarl ramped up again, and he let out a huge, powerful roar of a bark; the sound startled me, and I lurched in surprise- I would have fallen back into him, but there was no 'him' to fall into anymore. He had slipped out from behind me to put himself between me and the creature standing in front of me. 

The creature that stood easily six feet tall and was getting taller with each passing moment, rising to full height slowly but steadily. Seven. Eight. 

Ten. 

The skinwalker- the W endigo , not wolf- peeled back it's lips and snarled at us both, showing wicked fangs and taking one step towards us, then two. Devil roared a bark again, stepping up to meet it, 

and I felt instinct demand that I do the same; snarl and show my fangs and shift into my real form, to meet this thing's challenge. 

But I couldn't beat a skinwalker. Even together, Devil and I would get our asses  kicked fighting something like this. Everything and everyone avoided Wendigos, and for  damn good reasons. They were 

practically immortal, and  vicious . 

There were times and moments when you had to pick your battles. When you had to know when it was and wasn't worth it. 

This was one of those moments. 

"Devil," I hissed, without taking my eyes off the now eight-foot-tall monstrosity in front of me, " run ." 

He growled and whined at the same time; shoved against my legs and moved further between the monster and myself. I shoved away from him  hard,  pushing him back the way we'd come. "Run!" 

Then I grabbed my magic, my talent in both hands and latched it onto the first thing I could find; an old rickety tractor. Half run down and probably out of commission for years; but I  pulled , willed, as hard as I could. 

It started to roll. Gaining momentum, it rolled faster and faster. headed right towards the Wendigo who I'd piled my will on like pillows on a bed. It sensed what I was doing, what I  was , and howled in anger- I found myself grinning back, half a snarl, before the tractor barreled into it, whistling past my fucking ass hair and continuing on it's way to slam into the side of the farmer's barn. 

Oops. 

That hadn't killed it- not by a long shot. But it gave me a chance to bolt after Devil, to catch him up and sling myself on his broad back- and then we raced into the night like the pair of chickenshits we were. Live to fight another day, right? 

I hoped so. All I knew was that as we bolted from that barn, I could hear the Wendigo screeching after me, and I would hear that sound for a long, long time to come, chilling my blood. 


End file.
